Thanks to BRAVO! I spent an amazing twelve weeks in Valencia, Spain starting a new research project on Arabidopsis thaliana, a model system for plant genetics. In collaboration with Dr. Frans Tax’s lab, Molecular and Cellular Biology, UA and Dr. Cristina Ferrándiz’s lab, Developmental Biology, at the Instituto Biologia Molecular y Celular de Plantas, I spent my time characterizing a mutation in fruit development.

This opportunity allowed me to work with Dr. Ferrándiz on characterizing the mutagenesis of Arabidopsis carpel (fruit) by forward genetic methods compared to the reverse pathway used in Dr. Tax’s lab. I learned some of the physiological and developmental processes of Arabidopsis from knowledge collected from Dr. Ferrándiz’s own experiences, as well as lab studies of fruit development and flowering in Arabidopsis.

She guided me in examining a new mutation that affects the development of the plant’s fruit; the mutation adds an extra chamber of seeds to the normal two chamber fruit. Dr. Ferrándiz and my supervisor, Marina Triguer, taught me how to use different anatomical and histological techniques in distinguishing our mutant, supervalve1 (suv1) and the wild type.

I performed GUS staining on tissue-specific markers on the cells that make up the carpel. I learned how to prepare both live tissue and critical point samples for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which tested my patience and my agility on work with the delicate floral meristems. I was shown how to take clear, scaled pictures of the fruit and plant. I recorded anatomical measurements of the internodes, organ count, carpels, plant height, and leaf dimensions. Besides doing my own work, I helped my co-workers whenever I could. I did polymerase chain reactions, cloning, electrophoresis gels, ligations, and made buffers and solutions.

From the data collected and the SEM pictures, we believe there may be a new mechanism for patterning in fruit development, which we need to test. Thanks again to BRAVO!, I will be going back this summer to continue my research and learn more about new histological techniques and microscopes. Back in the U.S., not only do I add new skills to Dr. Tax’s lab, but I also share my experiences of Spain.

Outside of the lab in Spain, I had a great time absorbing the lifestyle of the Spaniards. I enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere at work and the laid back nature of everyone in the lab. My daily routine included a café (coffee, more like an espresso) break at eleven, lunch at two o’clock, followed by another café break afterwards, then back to work until I was done for the day. The Spanish cuisine is so rich with flavor and seafood, that it would be hard to find me without a fork in some famous paella, a rice dish with saffron, or a plate of seafood. And of course the nightlife was an experience in its own and it explains why Spaniards like to take siestas during the weekdays. This definitely wrecked havoc on my shopping and banking schedule.

I would like to say “muchas gracias” to my two faculty sponsors, Dr. Frans Tax and Dr. Ferrandiz, as well as to Carol Bender, and Genevieve Kenney, and equally to NIH for providing the funding for this program (NIH/MIRT TW00036).
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Danielle Nevarez, UBRPer in Dr. Frans Tax’s lab, Molecular and Cellular Biology